Automated frying and seasoning doubles production for tortilla chip manufacturer

Based in the US state of Illinois, flour tortilla chip manufacturer Donkey Brands was looking to meet increased demand by increasing production levels while maintaining optimal product colour, texture and flavour.

Donkey Brands chose to integrate FOODesign’s immerso-cook direct-fired continuous frying system and quik-coat seasoning system. The investment has enabled Donkey Brands to double production volumes by replacing an out-of-date manual process with an efficient automated system.

Customised frying solutions

The FOODesign immerso-cook features a state-of-the-art belt feed system. Customisable for a wide range of products, this feature minimises the risk of product breakage while optimising throughput speeds. Any unpreventable waste that can result from delicate snack applications like tortilla chips is continuously discharged from the fryer by the system’s base-mounted mesh conveyor, thus ensuring the product quality is not compromised.

Through its continuous oil filtration process, FOODesign’s immerso-cook keeps oil clean with particulate removal and a fresh oil infeed system. This stops the oil from overheating and prevents harmful fatty acids and free radicals from forming, which contaminate oil and compromise the quality of the product. Increased capacity from the immerso-cook, along with its oil-filtration system, means Donkey Brands can produce more tortilla chips with significantly less downtime from changing oil.

“With demand growing for quantity and quality, we needed a flexible frying system to build on our capabilities and enhance production capacity,” commented Robert Tisljar, partner at Donkey Brands. “Our previous line was predominantly manual and included a smaller fryer, as well as more conventional conveying systems.”

Consistent flavour coverage

With a desire to maintain quality in flavour and provide consistent coverage, Donkey Brands installed FOODesign’s quik-coat seasoning drum to ensure uniform coating on every tortilla chip produced. The FOODesign quik-coat was designed with flexibility in mind, to suit the unique attributes, product structure, surface and topography of each type of snack product. The system seasons uneven surfaces and gently tumbles the product, evenly dispersing seasoning so that all chips have a consistent appearance and taste.

Seasoning of products brings increased demands for cleanliness, so Donkey Brands was seeking an easy-to-clean solution that minimised downtime. As part of the installation, casters were adjoined to the system so that it can be pulled away from the production line — simplifying and accelerating the cleaning process.